Pyrophoric lighter



Aug- 29, 1950 E, w. GxDDY 2,520,498

PYROPHORIC LIGHTER Filed Jan. 8, 1948 Patented Aug. 29, 1950 UNITEDSTA-TES PATENT or l PYRQPHGRIC LIGHTER Edward. W.. Giddy,Toronto,Ontarimanada ApplicatonJanuary 8, 1348, SbrialiNoi 1,216 s;c1aims. (c1.` frz- 141 )I This invention relates to pvrophorieY lightersand the principalA object of the invention is` to provide an extremelyreliable pyrophoric lighter which will have a very positive action andcan be easily manipulated by the. operator with one hand without undueforce and without causing rubbing or irritation of the operators` thumbor ngers.

A further importantobject is to provide a positive acting compactlighter which can be` readily carried about the person and which willlight under a squeezing action of the thumb, and ngers and will beimmediately` extinguished when released.

A still further object isto` providea` lighter of inexpensive andattractive form.

The principal feature of theinvention consists in slidablyV mounting amanually actuated plunger on a fuel chamber from which projects a iiintand a fuel wetted wick, arranging an abrasive Wheel in axial alignmentwith the plunger and in, position to engage the hint to direct sparkstowards the wielen providing a spiral drive between the plunger andwheel to effect rotationthereof upon inward movement of the plunger toignite` the wiclr andlproviding a spring to return the plunger to an`outward position upon release of pressure.

A further important feature consists in providing a snuiier-actuated bythe plunger to,` expose the wick so long as the plunger is pressed inand I actuated to snuff the wick whexr Jthe plunger is released.

With reference to the accompanying-drawings, Figure 1 is a sideelevational view showing the actuating plunger in retarded position andthe snuiier coveringthe wick.

Figure 2 is a similar view to that of Figure l but with the plungerpressed in and the snuffer raised.

Figure 3 is a top plan view showingthedeviee in theposition as shown byFigure 1.

Figure 4 is a top plan view similar to that of Figure 3 but showing theplungerY at theend of its stroke and the snuffer in raised position toexpose the flaming wick.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Figure Figure 6 is a section online 6-6of Figure 3.

Figure 7 is a side elevation showing the snuifer and its operating rod.

Figure 8 is a vertical mid-sectional View of an alternative form oflighter embodying my invention. i

Withreference to the drawings, the lighter includes a boX-likecasing Iin which is;contained the fuel, and a wick 2 which is housed in alaterally extending chamber 3Aformedf. attlie side of thecasing; I andemerges; from thetanl through a. collar L The flint 5l is contained ina, tube 6i.` which, is placed centrally in the casing or fuel; tankandemerges through" the top and the. base. of; the casing makingleak-proof` contact therewith. At the lower end ofthe tube-Ii the baseofthecasi-ng I is provided with a recess 1 to receive a. screw threadedplug 8. The iiint in` the tube is urged urumardlyiY by a helical spring8." which" is interposed betweenithe int` andthe plug 81 at thev baseofthe tube 6.

Secured to the toplof the casing i and entending longitudinallythereofis a, housing 9-in.whioh iS inserted an end` closurev member I0.Thelmember lil is provided with a cylindrical bore IIf and with asemi-spherical recess IZ in the end wall to receive anl end thrust ballbearing I:3.

Journalled in the bore II of the` member I0 isasleeve I4 to theend ofwhich, is, integrally attached an annular abrasive wheel I5 arrangedabove theupper end` of the tube 6 to contact the :llinti` The sleeve IA.is provided with a pair di dianfietrically.` opposite orifices t5!extending `through the-wall thereof adjacent` the abrasive wheelltoreceive each a ball bearing I6. A collar IJ, is arranged, in. the,sleeve and engagesover the orices I5' toiorce theballs Ia. to projectwithin the inner sleeve wall.

Slidably` arranged in the openend oithehous.- ing 9.- is-a plunger Il'formed with, an. internal shoulder I8, and arranged in `the plunger is,a plug I9 having a flange 2l! abutting the inner `Jaceoi theshoulderI8-and.for1ned witha central boreZI.

Rotatably mounted in thebore oil the plug I9 andscoaxialwith `theabrasive wheel and sleeve I 4 `isthe operating shaft `22 to which, onitsouter end, is secured a circular head `23. The outerface of the headis reduced in thickness toward .the centre thereof` and has a roughenedor. serrated surface, and hasareducedidiameter. en its inner face whichiscontaned. within the plunger IfI.

For-med ontheinner face `ofi` the head `232 is, a ratchet surface 23p.adapted-to engage when the headlislpressed, inwardly with a ratchetsurface 23" formed on the outer face of the shoulder I8 of,theplungertoprevent relativerotationof. the plunger and head as theplunger `is moved `inwardly. The plunger ttingwithinthereotanglllarfhousing 9 is of course estopped fromv turning.

'The `operating shaft 22 is providedon theinner end withtwohelical orspiral. grooves 1li` arranged on diametrically opposite sides`whicherlgilgtn With t 3 the balls I6 projecting within the sleeve I4 asthe shaft operates through the abrasive wheel and in the bore of thesleeve I4 upon actuation of the plunger.

A helical spring 25 is interposed between the flange 20 of the plug I9and the side face of the abrasive wheel I5.

A snuffer 26 has shown, which covers and uncovers the wick, is mountedfor limited rotation on the side of the housing 9 by a screw 21. Thisscrew 2'I has a rounded end 28 which slidably engages in a peripheralgroove 29 formed in the outer surface of the sleeve I4 and preventswithdrawal of the sleeve.

The snuifer is operated by a rod 3i) secured to the plunger I'I and thisrod has an oiset portion 3| to project through a slot 32 in the housingi9. The laterally turned end 33 of the projecting part of the rodengages in a diagonal slot 34k :formed on the inner surface of thesnuifer 2t. .As will be seen, the rod 3i) will travel to and fro Ain theslot 32 formed in the housing 9 and that 'the' length of this slot willdetermine the travel A.of the shaft.

vOperation-The device is assembled and light- 'eruid placed in the tankthrough a screwthreaded opening 35 opened and closed by the plug 36. Thewick is immersed in the fluid and projects through the collar 4 in thepath of sparks from the flint 5 generated by rotation of the abrasivewheel. With the lighter as shown in Figure 1, pressure on the head 23forces the plunger Il to move, and the shaft 22 arranged therein toadvance through the abrasive Wheel I5. With the inward movement of thehead the ratchet surfaces 23 and 23 will engage, preventing relativemovement of the head and plunger, and as the shaft 22 is integrallyattached to the head, rotation of the shaft will also be prevented.Consequently as the shaft 22 threads through the abrasive wheel theballs it, which are placed in the sleeve i4 carrying the abrasive wheel,will be forced to travel in the helical grooves 24 formed on the shaft22 and the sleeve and abrasive wheel will be rotated. Contact of theabrasive wheel with the flint 5 will send a shower 0f sparks through theopening 36 in the housing 9 and onto the wick which will ignite the fuelcontained therein and a ila-me will result.

Upon movement of the head and plunger the :rod 39 will be advanced and,by virtue of its engagement in the diagonal slot 34 in the wall of thevsnuier, will cause the snuner to be rotated on its pivot 2l and the wickwill be uncovered.

Upon release of the head the ratchet surfaces 23' v and 23 Willdisengage and the spring 25 will :return the head and shaft 2t to itsinoperative position, the friction between the wheel and the lint willbe sufficient to hold the wheel stationary while the shaft and head willbe rotated on the Areturn stroke.

Illustrated in Figure 8 is a modined form of my invention but utilizingthe principles evolved above. In this case a plunger 31 carries theballs .38 arranged in diametrically opposite recesses 39 formed in asleeve 4G inserted in the bore 4I of the plunger. The abrasive wheel I5is mounted yon a shaft 42 which is provided with the spiral grooves 43corresponding to the grooves 24 and adapted to receive thev bail; i6.Again inward movement of the plunger forces the balls to travel thespiral grooves i3 of the shaft and as the plunger is held from rotationby frictional engagement with the thumb the shaft and abrasive wheel arerotated.

As before a spring 44 is utilized to return the plunger, and a ballbearing 45 similar to the ball bearing I3 is utilized to receive the endthrust caused by movement of the plunger.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that my lighter constructionwill provide a very positive action to produce a iiame. Further, it willbe seen that the plunger may be readily operated through a simplesqueezing action of the thumb and fingers, enabling the operator tomanipulate the lighter with one hand. This squeezing action is importantas it provides ample purchase to operate the abrasive whe-el withoutrequiring undue force and without rubbing or irritating the hand.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A pyrophoric lighter, comprising a fuel receptacle, a wick extendingfrom said fuel receptacle, a flint projecting from said fuel receptacle,a housing arranged on said fuel receptacle, a plunger member slidablymounted in said housing and non-rotatable, an abrasive member rotatablymounted in said housing in axial alignment with said plunger and inposition to engage said ilint to direct sparks towards said wick, anaxial eXtension formed with spiral grooves carried by one of saidmembers, a pair of diametrically opposed balls carried by but held fromrotation about the axis of the other of said members and engaging infree rolling contact in said spiral grooves of said extension uponmovement of said plunger member axially of said abrasive member, saidballs providing a diametrically balanced smoothrolling action betweensaid members while effecting rotation of said abrasive member uponinward movement of said plunger, an additional ball seated in axialalignment with and receiving the end thrust of said abrasive member topermit free rotation` thereof on inward movement of said plunger, springmeans urging said plunger outwardly, a snuffer pivotally arranged onsaid receptacle to 'cover and uncover said wick, and means operativelyconnecting said snuffer and said plunge-r to effect the operation ofsaid snuffer through movement of said plunger.

2. In a pyrophoric lighter, a fuel receptacle, a wick extending fromsaid fuel receptacle, a flint projecting from said' fuel receptacle, ahousing arranged onl said fuel receptacle, a plunger member slidablymounted in said housing, an abrasive -member rotatably mounted in saidhousing and arranged in axial alignment with said plunger and inposition to engage said int te direct sparks toward said wick, an axialextension formed with spiral grooves carried by one of said members, a

pair of diametrically opposed balls carried by but held from rotationabout the asis of the other of said members and engaging in free rollingcontact in said spiral grooves of said extension upon axial movement ofsaid plunger member, said balls providing a smooth rolling action uponsaid extension relatively moving therebetween while effecting rotationof said abrasive member upon inward movement of said plunger, anadditional ball seated in axial alignment with and receiving the endthrust of said abrasive member to permit free rotation thereof on inwardmovement of said plunger, spring means urging said plunger outwardly,saidl abrasive member having a peripheral portion former with aperipheral groove, and a pinV anchored to said housing and projectinginto lsaid groove and maintaining said abrasive member in bearingcontact with said end thrust receiving ball. Y

3. A device as claimed, in claim 2 in which said 5 6 pin is anadjustable screw forming an anchoring UNITED STATES PATENTS meanspositioning said abrasive member in said Number Name Date housmg-2,434,515 Perkins Jan. 13, 194s EDWARD W- GIDDY- 5 FOREIGN PATENTSNumber Country Date REFERENCES CITED 249,690 Germany July 26, 1912 6 Thefollowing references are of record in the gg Feb i me of this patent: m676,425 France Nov, 2s, 1929

